Running board saddle



March 23, 1954 J A N 2,672,828

RUNNING BOARD SADDLE Filed Dec. 5*, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN V EN TOR. Jam 5 flwarzrz,

March 23, 1954 sw 2,672,828

NING BOARD SADDL Filed Dec. 5 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. James 5 fizz/Q2272,

Patented Mar. 23, 1954 RUNNING BOARD SADDLE James S. Swann, Homewood, 111., assignor: to Standard Railway Equipment Manufacturing CompanmChicago, 111., a corporation of Delaware ApplicationDiccember 5, 1951, Serial No. 260,065

6 Claims. 1

This invention relates to-improvements in railwayfreight car running boards of the bar type which comprise sets of interconnected longitudinal and transverse bars disposed vertically edgewise' and having serrated type portions such,

forexample', as illustratedin' Patent No; 2,208,020

dated July 16, 1940.

More specifically, theinvention' comprises an improved saddle for bar type running boards, which saddles are in turn secured to the seam caps'of the car roof. Most car roofs now comprise roof sheets extending from side to side of the car; and provided with upstanding marginal:

fiangeswhich are straddled'by a carline or seam capthrougl'r which rivets extend" for securing thafiangesand seam cap together, thereby pros viding a watertight joint.

The principal object of the invention is to pro vide a running board saddle for bar type running boards which requires no additional ho1ddown parts, such as bolts or rivets, thereby reducing the application cost of the running board to a car roof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing forming part of this application and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts.

Fig. l is a perspective view of a bar type running board showing my improved saddle applied thereto and supporting the same upon a car roof.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the running board.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a modified form of saddle.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the saddle shown in Fig. 3.

In the drawings a portion of adjacent car roof sheets is shown at Hi, the adjacent margins of which are provided with upstanding flanges H which abut each other and are straddled by a car-line seam cap I2. Rivets l3 extend through the seam cap and flanges to form a watertight joint between the adjacent roof sheets.

The running board saddle comprises an angle shaped piece of metal comprising flanges l4 and I5, and the saddle is of a length to extend from side to side of the running board. The bottom edge of the flange M conforms to the plane of the roof, sloping downwardly from the approximate center thereof to the opposite ends. When on the car this flange is disposed vertically and provided with spaced holes 16, which holes are 2;: the same distanceapart as the holes accommoe dating therivets t3; so that some of these-rivets: may also hold thesaddle to the seam cap; The? flange i5 is horizontally disposed and straightitoa support: thereupon the bottom edgesofthe longitudinally extending bars ll ofthe running. board. The running board comprises a pluralityof these longitudinally extending bars H, which are disposed. on edge and arehel'd togetherinspaced relation by spaced transverse; bars secured. to; bars I! by deformation. Adjacent the opposite; ends of this flange. I5 are die cut upwardlyvfromv the wedge shaped lugs Iihwhich are-then: bent intermediate their ends so that the tipper- 'tion extends substantially parallel to: the remainder of flange l5. Spaced inwardly, from: these lugs 53a suitable. distance arealso dieecut. upwardly a pair'of verticallyxextendingrectanguelarly shaped lugs Ill. The lugs 18 are spaced so that they occur adjacent the inner faces of the outer longitudinal bars ll of the running board (which outer bars are provided with longitudinally extending slits 20) when the running board is applied to the saddle. Then with a haminer the wedge shaped lugs l8 are forced through said slits 2d and the end protruding through said slits bent over to clamp the running board in place. The other vertical lugs are positioned so that the outer edges thereof occur in abutting relation with the inner face of an intermedate longitudinal running board bar [1 and the vertical edges of said lugs It may be welded to the said side of said bars l1. These lugs l9 eliminate lateral movement of the running board and strain from the lugs l8, and it is not absolutely necessary that they be welded to the adjacent running board bars I! since the lugs 18 securely hold the entire running board in place.

A modification of the running board saddle is shown in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein the saddle comprises an angle member comprising flanges 25 and 2t. Flange 25 is similar to flange I 4 except that end extensions 2'! are provided which are of sufficient length that two rivets 53 also extend through holes 23 to hold the saddle to the seam cap. Embossments 29 are pressed outwardly in this flange 25 so as to overlap the intervening rivet heads l3 in the seam cap. The other flange 25 has die-cut therefrom a pair of angularly shaped lugs 3!! which are of a width to span the space between two adjacent longitudinal bars 3!, so that the side edges of said lugs may be welded, as at 32, to the adjacent sides of a pair of said longitudinal bars 3! to hold the running board securely in place. Since the welds 32 run in a diagonal as well as a longitudinal direction such fastening eliminates the possibility of movement of the running board in any direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A running board saddle adapted to support a preassembled unit bar type running board to a car roof, comprising an angular bracket member having flanges extending in planes at right angles to each other, and means to secure one of said flanges to a car roof, the other flange having outwardly pressed lugs spaced so as to occur in edge relation to the sides of longitudinal bars of a bar type running board to secure said running board to said saddle.

2. A running board saddle adapted to support a preassembled unit bar type runnin board to a car roof comprising an angular bracket member having flanges extending in planes at right angles to each other, one of said flanges having spaced holes therethrough for fastening means to secure said saddle to a car roof, the other flange having outwardly pressed lugs engageable with the sides of longitudinal bars or" a bar type running board to secure said running board to said saddle.

3. A running board saddle adapted to support a preassembled unit oar type running board to a car roof comprising an angular bracket member having flanges extending in planes at right angles to each other, one of said flanges having outwardly pressed lugs spaced so as to occur in edge relation to the sides of longitudinal bars of a bar type running board to secure said running board against lateral displacement.

4. A running board saddle adapted to support a preassembled unit bar type running board to a car roof comprising an angular bracket member having flanges extending in planes at right angles to each other, one of said flanges having spaced holes therethrough for fastening means to secure said saddle to a car roof, the other flange having outwardly pressed lugs spaced so as to occur in edge relation to the sides of longitudinal bars of a bar type running board to secure said running board against lateral displacement on a car roof.

5. A running board saddle adapted to support a preassembled unit bar type running board to a car roof, the outer bars having slits therethrough comprising an angular bracket member having flanges extending in planes at right angles to each other, and means to secure one of said flanges to a car roof, the other flange having outwardly pressed lugs deformable to extend through said slits to secure said running board to said saddle.

6. A running board saddle adapted to support a preassembled unit bar type running board to a car roof, the outer bars having slits therethrough comprising a bracket member having flanges extending in planes at right angles to each other, means to secure one of said flanges to a car roof, the other flange having outwardly pressed lugs deformable to extend through said slits and thereby hold said running board to said saddle, and other lugs pressed outwardly from said other flange engageable edgewise with the sides of other bars of said running board.

JAMES S. SWANN.

Lachman May 13, 1941 

